Minnesota Woman Sentenced for 25-Year Social Security Fraud Scheme

 

A Minnesota woman has been sentenced to prison for orchestrating a Social Security fraud scheme that spanned more than two decades, during which she impersonated her deceased mother to illegally collect government benefits.

On Thursday, August 21, Mavious Redmond, 54, of Austin, Minnesota, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for fraudulently claiming Social Security Retirement Insurance Benefits. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, Redmond collected approximately $360,627 over a 25-year period by assuming her mother’s identity following her death in 1999.

A Calculated and Long-Term Deception

Federal prosecutors detailed how Redmond’s scheme began shortly after her mother's passing. From January 1999 through June 2024, Redmond used her mother's personal information—including date of birth and Social Security number—on official documents. She also forged her mother's signature and, on multiple occasions, posed as her during phone calls and in-person visits to the Social Security Administration (SSA).

In one instance, Redmond contacted the SSA under the guise of a hypothetical inquiry, asking what would happen if her mother were to pass away. She was informed that benefits would cease upon notification of death—yet she deliberately failed to report the death, continuing to collect payments unlawfully.

Redmond also withdrew $3,200 in COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments that were issued by the IRS to her deceased mother’s bank account.

A "Brazen and Shameless" Act

"Redmond’s scheme was brazen and shameless," said U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. "This wasn’t free money—it was taxpayer money, stolen from a program built on the hard work of Minnesotans who paid in every paycheck."

In addition to her prison sentence, Redmond will serve one year of supervised release.

A Crime Born of Desperation

Robert Meyers, Redmond’s federal public defender, acknowledged her wrongdoing but framed it within the context of personal hardship. According to court documents, Redmond lived with her parents her entire life and was left alone and without support after her mother’s death.

At the time, she worked full-time at a Subway restaurant earning $8 an hour and relied heavily on food pantries to meet basic needs. Meyers emphasized that Redmond’s actions were not driven by luxury or greed but by survival.

"She is not a hardened criminal," Meyers wrote. "Mavious Redmond’s crime was a crime of opportunity born of desperation. This fraud was not so that she could live large."

After authorities uncovered the scheme, Redmond took a job at McDonald’s, working 25 hours per week for eight months until her employer learned of her conviction and terminated her employment. In June 2025, she relocated to the Twin Cities and is currently living in a homeless shelter. She is working with a housing stabilization advocate and actively applying for jobs.

"All of this demonstrates Ms. Redmond’s commitment to doing things the right way and turning her life around," Meyers added. "She is in a good position to learn from her mistakes and get the help she needs to ensure she never makes those mistakes again."

Source: usatoday.com